It’s a Dirty Job, But…

John Davis

OK, in full disclosure, I am a huge fan of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.” For those unfamiliar with the show, host Mike Rowe travels the country showing, and doing himself, some of the dirtiest jobs you can imagine… cleaning out septic tanks, gutting fish, you name it.

Apparently, in one episode (one I have to admit I have not seen… bad fan, bad fan) Rowe talks to a guy who makes his own biodiesel from leftover used cooking oil he gets from local restaurants. He’s even converted his vehicle to use a 100% biodiesel mix… and the truck gets 40 miles to the gallon!

Check out this video posted on YouTube and the web site Biodiesel Times:

“>Dirty Jobs

I thought it was pretty cool.

Biodiesel

NBB Fights Tax Incentive Abuse

John Davis

NBB logoThe National Biodiesel Board is vowing to fight what it considers abuse of the biodiesel tax credit. According to a release from the NBB, the original intent of the credit was to help the biodiesel industry get off the ground, but big oil companies now are trying to take advantage of it:

The NBB has been advised of a potential abuse of this program and is determined to see that it is addressed in an expedient manner. Based on discussions with federal tax authorities, blenders and shippers, there is a suspicion that claims for the tax credit may have been submitted or are intended to be submitted in a way that we believe would constitute an improper use of the tax credit. Anecdotal evidence exists which suggests that foreign companies may be sending or planning to send tanker shipments of biodiesel into US ports, adding a small amount of diesel fuel, claiming the blenders credit on all biodiesel gallons in the shipment, and then exporting the shipment outside the United States.

This type of “re-exporting” activity was clearly not intended by the legislative policy and is an inappropriate use of the tax credit.

NBB officials promise to aggressively pursue legislation to close this loophole and keep the credit in the hands of those it was intended to help. They also encourage anyone who has information about questionable credits to contact the Internal Revenue Service at (213) 576-3837.

Biodiesel, Legislation

Ethanol in Ag Hall of Fame

Cindy Zimmerman

2007 Ag Hall of Fame BanquetEthanol and the Indy Racing League will be in the spotlight at the National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame 2007 Annual Meeting Thursday in Bonner Springs, KS.

Featured speaker for the “Farm-Fueled” event is Tom Slunecka, executive director of the Ethanol Promotion & Information Council. The event will also set the stage for the Kansas Lottery 300 scheduled for this Sunday at the Kansas Speedway, which will be run for the first time on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol.

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News

Pioneer Teams With EPIC

Cindy Zimmerman

pioneerPioneer Hi-Bred, a subsidiary of DuPont, is teaming up with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) in an effort to educate consumers on the benefits of ethanol-enriched fuel. The effort includes funding for ethanol promotion and education programs.E

According to Pioneer officials, the investment from Pioneer includes a sponsorship of Team Ethanol in the IndyCar® Series for the 2007 season.

“Ethanol is a factor in the effort to reduce our nation’s reliance on petroleum,” says Dean Oestreich, Pioneer president and DuPont vice president and general manager. “EPIC has already helped to significantly raise awareness about the benefits of biofuels, and we are proud to be joining forces with them to continue their efforts to promote ethanol.

“EPIC’s efforts, combined with our commitment to develop traits and technologies that help increase harvestable yield and ethanol production per acre, are helping create a promising future for biofuels,” says Oestreich.

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News

Ethanol from Carbon Monoxide

Cindy Zimmerman

Lanza-Tech A New Zealand technology company has secured $3.5 million in private venture capital to develop ethanol from carbon monoxide.

LanzaTech is getting the funding from Khosla Ventures and two existing New Zealand-based investors.

According to a news release, this funding will support further technology development, establishing a pilot plant, engineering work to prepare for commercial-scale ethanol production and positions the company to raise significant capital in the near future.

This technology could produce 50 billion gallons of ethanol from the world’s steel mills alone, turning the liability of carbon emissions into valuable fuels worth over $50 billion per year at very low costs and adding substantial value to the steel industry.

Ethanol, News, Research

Australian Ethanol Investment

Cindy Zimmerman

IroquoisInternational investment and advisory firm Babcock & Brown has finalized plans to acquire Iroquois Bio-Energy Company of Rensselaer, Indiana. This is the Australian firm’s fourth investment in the US ethanol industry.

Babcock-BrownIn January 2006, Babcock & Brown Environmental Investments completed the acquisition of Diversified Energy Company, whose primary asset is a 25 mgpy facility in Morris, Minnesota. Babcock & Brown also has two plants under construction: a 100 mgpy facility in Hennepin, Illinois and a 50 mgpy facility in Necedah, Wisconsin.

Ethanol, Facilities, International, News

New Wind Project in Iowa

John Davis

MidAmerican Energy windmillIf the Iowa Utilities Board approves it, an expansion by a major wind energy producer in Iowa will nearly double that state’s wind power generation capacity.

According to this story on RenewableEnergyAccess.com, MidAmerican Energy wants to add 540 megawatts of wind energy production.

“In addition to the environmental benefit of adding new wind energy production in Iowa, customers of MidAmerican Energy will continue to benefit from electric rate stability,” said Greg Abel, president of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company.

MidAmerican Energy logolMidAmerican currently runs 323 wind turbines at three sites in northwest, north central and west central Iowa, generating 459.5 MW of electricity. That’s enough power for about 144,000 homes.

“Iowa has become a national leader in wind energy not through mandates, but by offering incentives and utilizing a cooperative approach involving utilities, lawmakers, regulators, equipment manufacturers and even schools,” said Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs. “This is one more major voluntary project that will help Iowa maintain its leadership position on renewable energy.”

Iowa Governor Chet Culver wants to see the amount of wind energy in his state double again to more than 2000 MW.

Wind

States Adopting Biodiesel Standards

John Davis

Gov Bill RichardsonNew Mexico is the latest state to adopt a biodiesel standard as Governor Bill Richardson signed into law a measure that requires all diesel sold in the state to have at least a five percent blend by 2012. State vehicles would have to use 5% biodiesel by 2010.

According to this story in Land Line Magazine, several other states have similar bills pending:

Sen Bill StoufferAmong the states where lawmakers have taken up similar standards is Missouri. The state Senate approved a bill that would require all diesel fuel sold at retail in the state to be a biodiesel blend.

Sponsored by Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, the bill – SB204 – would require at least 5-percent biodiesel at the pumps by April 2009.

The Oregon House also is on the biodiesel bandwagon. The chamber approved a bill that includes a requirement that at least a 2-percent biodiesel blend be offered as soon as state production of biodiesel reaches 5 million gallons per year. A 5-percent biodiesel blend would be required when production reaches 15 million gallons per year.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation

Biodiesel for Frisco Buses

John Davis

San Francisco becomes the largest city in the nation to switch to a 20% biodiesel blend for all of its city vehicles. This comes as the area’s first public biodiesel pumps open (see my post from April 19th). Check out this release from the National Biodiesel Board:

Mayor Newsom“Every city bears responsibility for taking local action to address our global climate crisis, and vehicle emissions are a major source of greenhouse gases,” said Mayor Newsom. “When it comes to the use of alternative fuels, renewable energy sources and greening our city fleet, San Francisco is demonstrating leadership and commitment on every front.”

NBB logo“The city of San Francisco departments have announced various strategies using biodiesel to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases, and to use local resources to produce biofuels,” said Randall von Wedel, a biochemist representing the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) in state regulatory affairs, based in the San Francisco area. “We are grateful to Mayor Newsom for his initiative,” said von Wedel, “and we hope that San Francisco will serve as a model for other large cities on how to make a difference in reducing air pollution, greenhouse gases and dependence on petroleum fuel.”

City officials also announced their “Biofuel Recycling Program,” today. Under the program, waste grease and cooking oil will be collected from area restaurants. Biodiesel plants in the area will turn the separated cooking oils into biodiesel, and the grease will be made into methane gas to power electric generators for San Francisco.

Biodiesel

GM Exec Promotes Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

LutzThe vice chairman of General Motors says converting automobiles to ethanol is “entirely realistic.”

Forbes reports that GM’s Bob Lutz spoke at an automotive conference in Louisville on Monday and said that instead of being satisfied with incremental change, the country should make it a priority to replace fossil fuel with renewable energy in “huge chunks.”

Lutz said that ethanol could become a major energy component within a few years if energy policy becomes the top national priority – similar to the “Manhattan Project” in which scientists designed and assembled the first atomic weapons.

“I think a timeframe like five years looks entirely realistic,” Lutz said.

Car Makers, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News